Car-coupling



(No Model.)

'0. G. 'TUSHAUS'. GAR-COUPLING.

No. 575,623. Pa'tented Jan. 19, 1897.

I7zaerai07 UNITED STATES CLEMENT G. TUSHAU S,

OF MARION, INDIANA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 575,623, dated January 19, 1897.

Application filed February 25,1896. Serial No. 580,756. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLEMENT G. TUSHAUS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Marion, in the county of Grant, in the State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic carcouplers which are coupled by the coming together of the cars without necessitating the services of an attendant.

T he object of my invention is to provide an automatic coupler in which the use of a coupling-pin is dispensed with.

My invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, and finally pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective View of the draw bar and head. Fig. 2 represents a perspective View of the draw-heads coupled together.

The same reference-letters indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

The draw-head of my improved coupler may be of any suitable construction, but is preferably made in the form illustrated in the drawings. The head thus shown comprises two hook-shaped catches B B, having curved or beveled surfaces A A, said catches being turned in outward direction opposite to each other. The hooks of each draw-head are disposed oppositely to each other, so as to interlock when the heads are brought together. Holes O are formed in the ends of the drawhead for receivinga pin for coupling them to different kinds of couplers.

The draw-head is provided with levers D D, rigidly attached to the opposite side of said head and extending toward the sides of the car, by means of which the head can be turned from either side of the car without necessitating a person to pass between the cars, and by the turning of these draw-heads the cars are uncoupled. A chain E is attached to one of the levers D and extends to the top of the car, so that the uncoupling of the cars may be effected from the top thereof, if desired.

A draw-bar A is supported underneath the car-body in any suitable Way, and the drawhead is secured to the outer end of the drawbar. This draw-bar is provided on opposite sides thereof with plates A A adapted to serve as a support for one endof springs G G, which are fastened at their opposite ends to plates F F on the bottom of the car. These springs tend to keep the hooks of the drawheads in a horizontal plane and are adapted to turn the coupler back into normal position after it has rotated to couple or uncouple the cars. They also hold the heads in locked position when the cars are coupled together.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Upon the coming together of the cars the beveled or curved ends of the hooks of opposite draw-heads strike each other, thereby rotating said heads and causing the catches B B of one head to engage the corresponding catches of the opposite head and lock the cars together, as shown in Fig. 2. \Vhen it is desired to uncouple the cars, one of the heads is turned by means of one of the levers D from either side of the car, or by pulling the chain upward from the top of the car, and the catches of said head are thereby swung out of engagement with the catches of the companion head, when the cars are separated and the coupling-heads disconnected. On the release of the lever or chain the head which was so turned to effect disengagement is rotated back to normal position by the automatic action of the springs G G. These springs are disposed in transverse relation to the drawbar and they act directly and positively to impart rotary motion to said bar. One of these springs may be dispensed with, if desired.

I claim as my invention In an automatic car-coupler, the combination of a rotary draw-bar, a draw-head having curved surfaces, a lever attached to said head and projecting toward the sides of the car, actuating means attached to said lever and extending to the top of the car,'plates fastened to the bottom of the car, plates disposed on the draw-bar, and springs disposed between the plates on the car and on the drawbar.

CLEMENT G. TUSHAUS.

Vitnesses:

EDGAR O. GIBsoN, J AMES BROWNLEE. 

